


Roll The Dice

by TheMadTinhatter



Category: Arashi (Band), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, M/M, Romance, Songfic, people getting hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-16
Updated: 2013-03-16
Packaged: 2017-12-05 11:26:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/722751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMadTinhatter/pseuds/TheMadTinhatter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven people, and a quite familiar strange room....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Roll The Dice

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Meikyuu Love Song, and by its PV. Lyrics translation by yarukizero@lj. Enjoy!

 

_“Umareru mae kara shitteita you na_

_yasuragu kimi to fui ni deatta_

_Seikaku mo shimi mo maru de chigaitteta kedo_

_Bukiyouna gurai sunao na kimi mabushikatta....”_

 

_"It seems like I knew you before we were born_

_I suddenly met you, who were at ease_

_Our personalities and our hobbies were completely different_

_You were so honest, it was awkward, but you were dazzling..."_

 

\- How was today? - said Neville, while they were waiting for the stairs to arrive.

  
\- Oh, not bad - Luna answered. - I had an argument with a Slytherin of my year that was saying that Gulping Plimpies don't exist. But, you know, it isn't true, they're right next to my house, in the lake. Me and dad sometimes use them to make tea, they're really sweet. I'll make you taste it, one day.

Neville smiled, nodding. He had never seen a Gulping Plimpy, just as he had never seen a Nargle, or a Crumple-horned Snorkack, but by then, he believed in her words.  
He'd met her only the year before and, thinking about it, he was sure that she had made a small miracle. He was the typical shy and not-so-popular boy, and that just didn't attract people: he'd always been a lonely person.

  
She, instead, with her outgoingness and honesty, got closer to him. Even then, like in that moment, she was a strange girl. He remembered his first encounters with her as a bit awkward, but also thanks to the DA meetings he got to know her, and they became friends. Plus, he got convinced that, apart the obvious abilities, something in her was really magic. Day after day, he got more and more under her spell....

\- I'd really like to make everyone see what I see... the world could really be a better place - went on Luna, taking the staircase that had just arrived. Neville followed her.

  
\- Seriously, Crumple-horned Snorkacks should be on school programs, they're really important for our ecosystem!

The girl kept on talking, while Neville looked around. Suddenly, he realised that there were some strange things.

  
First, on the stairs they were completeky alone, and that was unusual because all the students were heading back to their Common Rooms. Second, if there was a place where that staircase was taking them to, surely it wasn't the Ravenclaw Tower, nor the Gryffindor Tower.

\- Luna, which staircase did you take? - Neville asked.

  
\- One - the girl answered, shrugging. - I suppose that every staircase will take you where you have to go, won't it? Even though what's happening now is really strange....

  
When the staircase stopped, they found themselves in front of a very heavy looking wooden door. The stairs that had taken them there got farther and farther, then disappeared.

\- The staircase! Why did the staircase disappear? - yelled Neville.

  
\- I don't think they'll come back - said Luna.

  
\- So? What do we do?

  
\- There isn't much to do... we have to go past that door, and find a way to get to our dormitories - Luna answered.

Neville nodded, a bit doubtful.

  
\- And then, I'm curious to know what's behind the door, I think I've never been in this part of the castle!

Neville wasn't exactly of the same advice. Everything in that situation seemed to warn him about upcoming danger, and he didn't think it was logical to risk their lives just to satisfy curiosity. On the other hand, he knew that if he backed out Luna would have thought of him as a coward, and he absolutely wanted to avoid that.

\- Ok, then - he said, trying to sound firm.

  
Together, they got near the door. They thought that it would have needed all their force to be moved, but, like it had senses their presence, the door opened with a creak.

The room behind the door was dark, except for the external light, and for the one coming from a small lamp in a corner.

  
The first thing they saw was a group of five boys, gathered under the lamp as if the light was their vital energy. They had slanted eyes, and were wearing quite elegant and strange clothes.

  
The boys looked at Neville and Luna for a few seconds, then one of them let out a surprised exclamation.

  
-  _Nani? Luna-san to Neville-san ga imasu! Kore wa Hogwarts desu! Yokatta... Dumbledore-sensei, tasukete kudasai! *****_ \- the young man screamed, waving his arms in the air.

  
-  _Urusai Jun-kun! -_ said another one, and then addressed them -  _Anatatachi wa dare desuka?_ ******

  
Neville gave Luna a confused look. - Where the hell have we got to? - he murmured.

  
-  _Nino-kun, kare wa Neville-san de, kanojo wa Luna-san desu._ Harry Potter  _wa yomimasenka?_ ******* \- replied the other, a bit annoyed.

  
_Nino-kun_ shook his head, while the other three boys were still looking at them. 

  
Neville got closer to them; he couldn't understand what they were saying, but apart from Luna they were the only ones there with them. They looked harmless, and judging by the scared expression of the last one on the left they were Muggles, but the fact that one of them had talked about Hogwarts, Dumbledore, Harry and especially knew their names made him a bit suspicious.

  
When him and Luna got closer to them, the door from which they had entered suddenly closed, and the lamp, the only source of light they had, died.

  
One of the boys complained, still in that incomprehensible language.

  
Then, Neville's mind was crossed by a voice. It was a female voice, and it sounded supernal.

  
_\- Simultaneous translation actived._

  
It disappeared just as it had appeared.

  
\- Hey, did you hear that?

  
The voice belonged to the boy that had first talked to them.

  
\- Yes! Yes! I heard it!

  
\- Ouch! Aiba-chan, don't stamp on my foot!

  
\- Oh! I can understand you now! - Luna exclaimed.

  
\- Luna-san! - squealed the first boy.

  
\- Jun-kun, don't be a fanboy and try not to faint! - said someone next to  _Jun-kun._

  
\- Why don't they turn on the lights? And why are we here? - cried another one of them.

  
\- That's what we're all asking ourselves, I think - said Neville.

  
As he stopped talking, the lights came back.

  
There were many lamps in the room, and the glare was more intense than before. While his eyes were getting accustomed to it, Neville tried to make out where they had gotten to.

  
The walls were made of stone, carved and painted to give the impression of being surrounded by a city. On the floor, there were some coloured tiles; many of them had something painted on, and together they were forming what looked like a path. To their right there was a big white cube with black dots on its faces.

  
\- It's a die! - said Luna excited, going near the cube.

  
\- Oh, I can't believe it! - exclaimed one of the boys. He was almost hugging the friend next to him, probably because, even if he didn't want it to be noticed, he got scared when the light was turned off, but even under the light it looked like he had no intention of letting him go.

  
\- What? - Luna asked.

  
\- We were shooting the new video here! Or at least the room was similar, wasn't it, Oh-chan?

  
\- You're right, Nino-chan... only the room was smaller - said the boy next to him.

  
\- Alright, can't we introduce ourselves? Maybe Jun-kun knows who you are, but we don't, and you don't know who we are - said one of the others.  _Jun-kun_  shook his head. - Sho-kun, it's impossible not knowing them!

  
Luna smiled. - My name his Luna, and my friend is Neville. And you are....

  
\- Sho Sakurai.

  
\- Kazunari Ninomiya.

  
\- Satoshi Ohno.

  
\- Masaki Aiba.

  
\- And I am Jun... Jun Matsumoto. You... you are my favourite characters, I read tons of fanfictions about you! - said the boy, clearly excited.

  
\- You read what? - Neville asked.

  
\- Fanfiction... on the internet....

  
\- Interwhat? - Luna asked.

  
\- Internet... it's like a net, where you can find a lot of things... with a computer....

  
\- I have no idea of what you're talking about... but I like it. You know, we can be friends! - Luna answered.

  
Neville got a bit sad. Luna was a special girl, right, but always a girl. Those five young men were, undoubtedly, pretty handsome, and it was obvious that, if she could, Luna would have chosen one of them over him, the ugly invisible boy.

  
Neville didn't have time to think about it, because the voice spoke again.

  
-  _Welcome -_ she said.

  
\- Who are you? And what do you want? - Nino yelled.

  
-  _I... I just want to play a little game with you...._

  
-  _"A little game"?_ I know a film that starts like this, its name is Saw, and everyone dies! - Nino exclaimed.

  
\- I... I don't want to die! - Aiba cried.

  
\- Be calm... everything's going to be alright - Luna told him.

  
_\- No one will get hurt... well, if you'll be good. And anyway, you don't have a choice... to find the key to escape you just have to play!_

  
\- Ok... ok. What do we have to do? - Neville asked.

  
-  _You all know_ _the game of the goose, don't you? You just have to roll the dice - the die, in this case - and get to the final square... the Key square. Just then you'll be able to open the Castle's door, which is right in front of you._

  
While she was talking, some of the buildings on the wall moved, showing a castle similar to Hogwarts. Where there should have been the door, there was a keyhole.

  
_\- You have a limited time to finish... sixty minutes._

  
\- And what if we don't finish on time? - said Ohno.

  
_\- If you don't... well, you'll notice! -_ said the voice, amused. -  _I'll be nice, and I'll give you the opportunity to know how much there is left...._

  
Behind them appeared a huge clock with roman numbers. Both hands were stuck on 12.

  
-  _But before, I have to divide you, and choose your colours... Luna, you'll be blue._

  
The colour of Luna's shoes changed to a bright blue.

  
-  _Neville and Masaki, you'll be green._

  
Neville saw his shoes, too, changing colour. Aiba got closer to him. 

  
-  _Jun and Kazunari, yellow._

  
Jun murmured something like  _"They don't match with the tie at all"._  

  
-  _And finally, Sho and Satoshi, you'll be red. One last thing... if you're in a couple, to win you'll have to get to the last square with your companion... even though the game may separate you... and don't even try to go further without my consent... you may well regret it!_

  
Everybody nodded. Neville saw Aiba next to him, a scared expression on his face. He just hoped that he wouldn't lose his head while playing.

  
-  _Now you can start playing... Blue, it's your turn. To all of you, welcome to_ "The Adventures Of Puzzle Storm" _!_  

  
The voice went silent.

  
\- Even the same name as our game! - complained Nino. - Copycat!

  
\- At least she's a gentlewoman - said Sho, then pointed at Luna. - Ladies first.

  
Luna left the group, and took the giant die.

  
\- Can I help you? - offered Neville. The cube was almost bigger than she was.

 

\- No, thank you. It's light - replied Luna, lifting the cube effortlessly. After that, she threw it.

  
Five.

  
The girl made five steps ahead, then stopped.

  
\- Hey, there's a biscuit on this square! - she exclaimed.

  
Just as she was saying that, a small table appeared in front of her.

  
\- There are two biscuits here - she continued.

  
On the wall in front of them, a writing appeared.  _"Biscuit Square: the player who gets on this square will have to eat one of the biscuits. Effects may vary due to the chosen biscuit._

  
\- Ok... - Luna said. - I'll take this one.

  
The girl took one of the biscuits, and took a bite.

  
\- It tastes good, and... wow! - said the girl, looking at one of her hands. - My skin... it's turning blue! Cool!

  
After a few seconds, Luna looked like a human version of Smurfette, and she seemed to be really pleased with that.

  
Neville noticed that his and Aiba's shoes were lighting up, like they were fluorescent.

  
\- I think it's our turn - he said to Aiba, and went to take the die.

  
Luna was right: it was quite light, even lighter than foam rubber. Neville threw it.

  
Two.

  
They landed on a square where there was written:  _"Take a card"._

  
\- Where are the cards? - Aiba asked. There apparently was no deck in the room.

  
The game didn't let them bother to look for it: where before had appeared the writing about the biscuit square, now there was something else.  _"Upside-down Card: for one turn, you'll live the game from a really different point of view...."_

  
Neville felt as the world was turning upside-down... and then realised that it was really like that.

  
\- It really is upside-down! - Ohno said, noticing then that it was his and Sho's shoes now to be lightened.

  
\- And now, what do we do? - said Sho, who seemed to not want moving in those conditions.

  
\- What do we do... we play! - said Ohno, moving to take the die.

  
\- It isn't so bad! - he exclaimed, throwing the die.

  
Six.

  
On that square, a clown's face was staring at them.

  
On the wall, another sentence appeared.  _"Clown Square: Rodney the Clown has decided to be nice, and he will play some of his music for you while you play...."_

  
A piano melody spread in the air. It was a strange song; it sounded like it was a horror movie soundtrack. The rhytm was quite fast, and it seemed played not by two hands, not by four hands, but by at least twenty hands.

  
\- It isn't human... there's something really strange here - said Neville. He couldn't really explain it, but that music was giving him chills.

  
\- I know, I know, it's our turn, there's no need to flash like that! Like you already weren't horrible! - Jun yelled to his shoes, going to take the die.

  
Three.

  
\- There's a bridge, here - said Nino. Said bridge appeared in front of them, together with two bicycles. The "board" was quite big, and the bridge seemed to be taking a lot further.

  
\- I think we should use these to cross it - said Jun, pointing to the bicycles.

  
When they arrived at the end of the bridge, Nino started making fun of the others. - We're here, and you're still behind! - he joked.

  
\- Hey, hey, hey, Nino-kun! We even haven't started playing! - said Aiba.

  
Luna rolled the die. Five.

  
The girl read the writing on her square. -  _"Castle of Darkness: fight to escape"._

  
Neville drew out his wand. The voice said that nobody would have hurt himself, but he didn't trust her.

  
Right after the girl finished reading, a sword appeared in her hands. Luna's arms lowered due to the weight, and a scared expression, so unusual for her, appeared on her face; five skeletons climbed from the ceiling to the board, startling her. Where their finger should have been, there were very lethal-looking claws.

  
Luna tried to let go of the sword to take her wand, but the weapon didn't have any intention to leave her hands.

  
Neville didn't wait a second.

  
\- Confringo! - he yelled, his want pointed to the skeletons.

  
The noise of an explosion filled their ears; everyone shielded themselves with their hands to avoid being hit by the bone fragments that were bursting out in every direction.

  
\- Cool - said Sho. - Can you teach me?

  
\- Of course he can't, Sho-kun! - said Nino. - He's a wizard!

  
The voice interrupted their talking.

  
-  _Oh, oh, oh, we have a little hero here, isn't it, Neville? What a pity it isn't your duty to perform in heroic actions during someone else's turn... didn't anyone ever tell you? Trouble must be faced alone... and now, as a punishment, you'll end up in the Prison!_

  
Neville felt like he was sinking, or better, since they still were upside-down, he got sucked upwards.

  
Something positive about that situation was that the world had come back to its original position; however, he found himself in a dark and damp place, and he was starting feeling cold. He could hear the others' voices, and they were wondering where he was.

  
\- What should I do to free myself? - he yelled, addressed to something undefined on top of him.

  
-  _You just have to stay still and relax a bit... Masaki will roll the die; when it will be a six, you'll get out of there._

  
Neville shook his head, desperate. The truth was that he was scared... but not for himself. What if Luna landed again on one of those squares? And if there had been some other diabolic square? Those five boys were Muggles, how could they ever defend themselves?

  
He let himself go against a wall.

  
_Six, six, six... please, Aiba, please...._

*

 

  
\- Neville-san, Neville-san! I'll do my best! - Aiba screamed. It was his turn, and their surroundings, as promised by the voice, had come back to normal.

  
Luna couldn't help but feeling guilty. She heard Neville's voice, and probably nothing bad would have happened to him.

  
Aiba threw the die. Five.

  
\- Oh, no... one less than six! - he yelled.

  
He landed on a  _Card_ square.

  
_"Throw the die. If you get more than three, stay where you are, otherwise you'll go to the Prison",_ appeared on the wall.

  
Aiba threw the die again, closing his eyes. Luna stopped breathing. If even Aiba went to the Prison, who would have freed Neville?

  
The girl cursed her curiosity: even though the idea of a "live" game had initially thrilled her, she discovered at her expenses that it could have got a lot dangerous.  
It was different than fighting Death Eaters: they, at least, had a purpose, and if they weren't stopped the world could have changed for the worst. It wasn't really clear why that game had summoned them: why did a room like that exist in Hogwarts? How did those guys arrive there? But more important, since them and those boys were allies, who were they really playing against? She really couldn't imagine it... Nargles weren't that evil, were they?

  
The die fell, and Aiba opened his eyes. Four.

Luna started breathing normally again. It wasn't six, but always more than three.

  
Aiba stood on that square, and Sho went to take the die.

 

  
*

 

 

 

Ohno was asking himself what did they have to do in that place. They were in the studios to shoot the new PV, when suddenly the lights had gone off, and all the staff had vanished. And then, they were there, playing that live game so similar to that of the video, together with those two strangers that Jun-kun seemed to know so well. 

  
He knew that he had to be a bit more optimistic, but considering all the situation he really couldn't.

  
First, that was a live version of a strange version of the game of the goose... and not one in which you had to impress the other players by dancing the macarena. Second, they were almost powerless against that game; yeah, that Neville made the skeletons explode, but it was quite obvious that his abilities weren't normal... and anyway, right now he was locked in a prison. Even the girl looked special... judging by her accessories, she looked like one of those girls that he sometimes saw in Tokyo, just she was blonde and had no make-up on. Would she be able to defend all of them? He didn't know, and anyway even if she could she would have been imprisoned.

  
He looked at Nino, who together with Jun was some squares ahead. He still looked angry for being there without any explanation. If something happened, what would he have done without him? And even the others, what would he have done even without one of them?

  
Sho threw the die. Two.

  
_Card Square._

_  
"You're in the Witch's Garden without her authorisation, so she decided to keep one of you as prisoner! Throw the die, who makes the higher number will stay here, while the other will be free to run away"._

  
Sho rolled the die. One.

  
_Well, it's difficult to get a lower number,_ Ohno thought, resigned. Some chains wouldn't have been a tragedy, in the end.

  
He rolled the die, and got a four. The writing on the wall changed.

  
_"While you're in the Witch's house, her pet snake decided to play with you... be careful, it may be poisonous!"_

  
While the words were fading, Ohno noticed a creature coming out of the square. Sho istinctively jumped to avoid it; he, instead, was glued to the ground.   

It was a long green snake: immediately after, the animal clinged to his ankles, wrapping them in a coil. He expected the snake to keep on clinging to him, giving him at least a quick death, but that didn't happen: the snake stopped.

  
He felt relieved... maybe there was some hope for safety?

He tried to move a leg, and realised that the snake wasn't wrapping around him too tightly.

  
\- Oh-chan, are you ok? - Nino screamed. He looked a lot worried.

  
\- I'm ok, Nino-chan, nothing to... ouch!

  
Famous last words. A sharp burning sensation spread through his calves, then he fell forwards, on his knees, his legs now incapable of keeping him standing.

 

  
*

 

  
_\- Haven't you read the card? The snake is poisonous!_

  
Again, that damn voice.

  
\- What did you do to him? - Nino yelled, out of his mind.

  
They ended up in that crazy place, and that would have been ok; that someone dared touching his Oh-chan, definitely not.

  
_\- Oh, nothing... nothing that can't be undone -_ the voice answered.

  
\- Then what are you waiting for to make that damn snake go away? - he yelled.

  
_\- Isn't it obvious? Someone must help him... and that someone may be you, Kazunari!_

  
\- Cut, and tell me what I must do - Nino said.

  
_\- It's very simple... you just have to get a knife, and some antidote to the poison, then you'll be able to free your friend, but be careful... the more steps you'll take, the more the snake will wrap around Satoshi, and the poison will spread more quickly! You'll have to hurry... before it's too late!_

  
\- Oh, damn, damn, damn! You'll never win against me! - Nino screamed. He felt suddenly more conscious about the clock that was ticking behind him. He ran to take the die.

While he was coming back to his square, he heard a moan. The snake had climbed half a coil around Ohno.

  
_I have to stay still the more that I can. Keep calm._

  
He threw the die. Six.

  
_\- Biscuit square -_ said Jun.

  
\- I don't want to turn blue! - complained Nino.

  
\- Me neither, it would be useless - replied Jun.

Nino nodded. Luckily turning blue wouldn't have troubled them. He had to put all possible effort into saving Oh-chan. He might even just stay a friend, but even like that Nino would have never let a stupid game take him away, never. He would have done everything to make him come out alive, everything.

He chose one of the biscuits, and shared it with Jun.

  
It tasted of chocolate, like a common cookie.

  
_This can't harm us, can it?_

  
The next moment they realised that the small table from where they took the biscuit was growing higher. He looked around, and noticed that even the other had become taller... or was it the other way round?

  
\- You're shorter! - said Luna.

  
Yes, it was the other way round. The square where they were looked enormous.

  
\- No, no, no, no! - Nino shouted.

  
\- What happened? - Jun asked.

Nino thought he was together with an idiot.

  
\- Isn't it obvious? We're shorter, so that means more steps to go ahead! And more steps mean less possibilities of saving Oh-chan!

  
How could he be so stupid?

  
\- Make us return as we were! - Nino shouted to the mysterious voice. He could almost hear her, that damned creature, she was surely laughing somewhere, while staring at his Oh-chan suffering, and enjoying seeing him so desperate.

  
The voice didn't reply.

  
\- Nino-kun, you'll make it! - said Aiba. He, the one that initially was scared of his own shadow, was cheering him up.

He sighed. Maybe getting angry would have done no good.

  
It was Luna's turn. The girl, with a light foot, went to take the die, and threw it.

  
Nino asked himself how the girl could be so calm. She just had been attacked by a group of skeletons, for God's sake!

  
\- Oh, I have to pick a card - the girl said, once she landed on her square.

  
_"Truth or punishment: you'll have to answer a simple question... I recommend you to answer truthfully... otherwise, you may regret it!"_

  
\- Right... let's read the question, then! - said Luna.

  
The writing changed.  _"What do you smell in Amortentia?"_

_  
-_ Hmm... let me think about it....

  
If the steps' thing hadn't stopped him, he would have strangled her. Anyway, what the heck was  _Amortentia?_

_  
-_ Gulping Plimpies' tea, Fanged Geranium's smell and... Stinksap - said the girl.

  
\- Oh, stop it with this rubbish! - Nino shouted. - What is Stinksap? What is Amortentia? Oh, well, who cares! There's someone dying, here, we don't have time for your and this stupid game's rubbish!

  
Jun grabbed his shoulders, and looked straight into his eyes. - Calm down, Nino, calm down. She didn't do anything bad, it isn't her fault Ohno-kun is in that condition, so don't take it out on her! We're all worried, but see, nobody's going crazy like you! Losing your temper is useless!

  
Nino moved Jun away, angrily. - You don't understand! - he shouted. - You all don't understand what he... what he means, to me.

  
Jun stopped, and didn't talk for a couple of seconds. - I understand you, instead - he then added.

  
Nino hoped that Jun had really understood what he meant. It would have been better like this, that he and the others understood without him openly telling everything... their relationship was so beautiful, he was so afraid to ruin everything....

  
He looked around. He saw Aiba-chan staring at him with a sad expression, he saw Sho-kun who, looking anxious, helped Oh-chan to lie down, he saw Luna looking at him, concerned, like she wanted to apologize. Everybody, from first to last, was with him, and he realised he wasn't alone.

  
He breathed heavily, reminding that without being calm he wouldn't have done anything, and looked at Aiba taking the die.

 

  
*

  
To Neville, it seemed he was in that prison for hours, while he had been there just for a turn. Nothing had happened to Luna, but it seemed that one of those guys was in critical conditions. He absolutely wanted to have a look at the situation. He hoped that Aiba hurried with that six.

  
\- Neville-san, Neville-san, you can come out! - Aiba said.

  
Neville felt something lifting him up, like an invisible hand grabbing his sweater. He felt like he was going through something viscous, then his feet touched solid ground again.

  
\- Are you ok? - Luna asked.

  
\- I'm fine - he said, taking a look around. Not far from him and Aiba were Sho and Ohno, and Neville noticed the snake wrapped around Ohno. A bit farther Nino, next to Jun, looked next to breaking down. The two were at least half shorter than before. Luna was behind them, and if only Neville could move, he would have hugged her.

  
He looked at the square where he was. It was nothing particular. Somehow this was lucky: he realised that there were things in that game that were far more dangerous than a prison.

  
\- Thanks, Aiba - said Neville. The boy looked exhausted.

  
It was Sho's turn, and he looked quite reluctant leaving Ohno alone with the snake. 

  
\- For God's sake, hurry! - said Nino, impatient.

  
He went on.

  
\- Oh, no... biscuit - said Sho, seeing the square.

  
He took one of the biscuits, then, suspicious, he took a bite.

  
At first nothing happened, then he grabbed his head between his hands.

  
\- My head... it's about to explode! - he screamed.

  
\- It mustn't even dare! - Jun shouted, angrily.

  
It seemed that Sho was about to faint, but somehow he stood on his feet.

\- Hold on, Sho-kun! - Aiba exclaimed.

Sho muttered something, but right after the turn passed to Nino and Jun.

  
Nino's stare was determined, and wouldn't leave Ohno. He looked like he would kill that snake with his bare hands.

  
Since he was so short, Jun could only kick the die.

  
The square they ended up on was the only one to be completely black.

  
_"Dungeon of Despair: one of you will go to the Dungeon of Despair! Getting in is easy, but will getting out be possible?"_

  
\- Nino-kun, you have to save Ohno-kun. I'll go in the dungeon - said Jun firmly, then disappeared.

 

  
*

 

 

 

Right after that, darkness and cold. Well, it was a dungeon, he surely couldn't have found light and a fireplace's warmth. It wasn't right to say that there was no light: a small shimmering sphere was heading towards him. Jun wasn't afraid: during that day he had seen worse and stranger things.

  
The sphere hit him, causing an incredible light explosion.

  
Suddenly, he didn't feel cold anymore. After the explosion the atmosphere had changed: he wasn't in a dungeon anymore, but in a park; it was spring, and cherry blossoms were blooming. Under one of them there were two figures, and Jun got closer to get a better look.

  
It was Sho-kun, and he was together with a girl.

  
-  _Cherry blossoms are beautiful -_ said the girl.

  
-  _Yes. But never as beautiful as you are, Minami-chan -_ Sho said, and then leaned to kiss the girl.

  
Jun felt his heart breaking in a million of pieces.

  
Sho-kun and  _Minami-chan,_ feeling like they were being watched, turned to him.

  
_\- Who's he? -_ the girl asked.

  
_\- Oh, him. We used to be friends, then he told me he fell in love with me. Crazy, isn't it? -_ Sho answered, laughing. 

  
Jun felt like he was sinking. He knew that was just something his mind had produced, but this didn't make it one bit less painful.

  
It reflected exactly what he was feeling: he never told Sho-kun about his feelings because he feared he would make fun of him.

  
The scene changed. He was back in the game.

  
The first thing he heard were Nino-kun's screams. They were something he had never heard, something so full of pain that it even didn't sound human. Not so far from there lay Ohno-kun, completely crushed by the snake, that was about to devour him. Next to him was Sho-kun, laying on the ground motionless and still with his hands on his temples. Jun didn't want to imagine what could have happened to him.

  
The scene changed again. The cold and the darkness made him know that he was back in the dungeon. He could at least see a bit ahead of his nose: he noticed that instead of walls, there were what looked like screens.

  
He really needed to sit down and catch his breath.

  
As he moved, the screens lighted up a bit, and Jun felt something climbing up his leg. He looked down, and started.

  
_Cockroaches._

  
He shuddered, and scrolled his leg to make those awful beasts go away. Normally, the sight of one of those animals would have made him capable of running across half Tokyo, but in that moment, for obvious reasons, that wasn't possible.

  
The cockroaches seemed to disappear, and Jun checked multiple times before finally sitting down.

  
The screens lighted up more. They were everywhere: in front of him, behind him, on the ceiling; some moments later they animated.

  
Jun saw again Sho-kun and that girl, and him and Ohno-kun in the game, both dead, and on the screen was projected a documentary about beetles, even with close-ups. Then, everything started again and again, and Jun couldn't do anything but keep on looking at all those horrible things.

  
He definitely had to escape, but how? He had no idea.

 

 

*

 

 

Not only Oh-chan was in danger, now he was alone, too! If nothing else happened, the next turn he would have had to throw that damn die, and since he still was some kind of dwarf the steps would at least have doubled!

  
The situation couldn't be worse. If only he had something sharp... maybe he could have tricked the game, free Oh-chan, get out of there and take him to the hospital... but probably just then some strange game trickery was reading his mind, making every try to escape useless.

  
The truth, even if he really didn't want to accept it, was that he couldn't do anything but wait, and hope for luck during the next turns; however it was difficult to wait knowing that for every minute that passed Oh-chan was getting nearer and nearer to death.

  
It was Luna's turn. On the square on which she had landed appeared a small table, but instead of biscuits there was a small bottle.

  
_"Potion: drink all the content of the bottle. It may be an antidote to an effect of the game, or maybe something more... temporary"._

  
That could have been an antidote. And the girl was drinking it.

  
\- It tastes like pumpkin juice - Luna said.

  
Suddenly, the girl started getting taller. When she stopped, probably she would have looked tall even for someone of normal height, but to him, who was shorter, she looked like a giantess. Needless to say, he would have payed gold to have even just a drop of that drink: like that, with a long step he would have covered at least five squares.

  
\- Nino, you're so tiny! - Luna said.

  
\- You don't have to make fun of me! And be careful with those feet! - Nino shouted.

  
That girl could have been the luckiest of the world, but she just couldn't mock him!

  
Neville rolled the die.

  
Nino saw Aiba get pale as he read the writing on the square.  _Castle of Darkness._

  
\- Now... w-what do we do? - Aiba asked, scared.

  
\- I don't know - Neville answered, as the skeletons were falling from the sky, and swords appeared in their hands.

  
Nino was really worried for his friend. He knew Aiba wasn't really lionhearted, and he expected to see him petrified by terror while the skeletons were going towards him.  
Instead, he was quite surprised.

  
Like possessed by a mysterious force, Aiba let out a desperate shout, and raised the sword against his attackers. Noticing that his  slash had done some damage, he kept on swinging his sword, without even looking at what he was doing.

  
Maybe he should have practiced  _a bit_ , but also with Neville's effort he couldn't say he wasn't effective, and soon the skeletons were sweeped away.

  
\- Well done, Aiba - Neville said, patting the boy's shoulder.

  
\- T-thanks - Aiba said, quite astonished.

  
Sho, during his next turn, had to drink the potion. It was an antidote to the biscuit, since his headache had disappeared.

  
It was his turn, again. Nino hoped for some luck, for something that would have helped, once for all, saving Oh-chan. He would have told him everything right after he'd opened his eyes and looked at him, without thinking of the consequences. What could have made him sure that, once out of that place, something else wouldn't have happened? After all, magic existed, and maybe it would have caught them again with something strange, and you just had to watch the news to see that people died in the most common ways. Then, hiding didn't have any sense. Seeing how he'd behaved during that game, even a blind person would have understood what he felt for Oh-chan.

  
He moved, taking steps as long as possible, and kicked the die.

  
Even him, as Luna and Sho, landed on a  _Potion_ square.

  
He stretched his arm to take the bottle, and drank. With his relief, he returned the right height, while Luna, as her turn arrived, stopped being a giantess.

  
\- Oh, bridge! - said the girl, arriving to her destination. He realised that the squares separatiing them from the end were few.

  
What would have happened? Would the game let them out easily? If he couldn't find an antidote, would Oh-chan be safe anyway? 

  
Neville took the die.

 

 

*

 

 

_“Dokoka de kimi ga tsumazuki_

_Kuyashisa ni taeteru nara_

_Boku ga kitto sono te wo tsuyoku nigirou_

_Kimi no naka no mirai dakedo_

_Kesshite mi ushinawanai yo_

_Donna toki demo_

_Massugi ni kimi wo boku wa miteru kara....”_

 

_"When you stumble somewhere, if you endure the frustration_

_I'll definitely hold on to that hand tightly_

_Though the future is inside of you, never lose sight of it_

_Because I'm always looking straight at you...."_

They landed on the black square.

  
\- I'll go - Aiba said. - You've already been in a place like that, and then I can stay with Jun-kun.

  
_"You may save yourselves, if you want...."_ appeared on the wall, then to Aiba everything turned black.

  
In front of him were some steps. Aiba went down, and immediately felt a rush of cold air.

  
_Had I known, I would have worn something heavier,_ he thought.

  
\- Jun-kun? Where are you? - he shouted, but nobody answered.

  
A light sphere was in front of him.

\- Oh, light! - said the boy. - Want to help me looking for Jun-kun?

  
The light, instead, got through him, and his surroundings changed.

  
He was walking on a sidewalk. He recognised the road as one of the main streets of Tokyo, but strangely no one was around, except for him.

  
_So sad,_ Aiba thought.

  
Then, someone appeared.

  
\- Ohno-kun! - said Aiba.

  
The Ohno who was in that road went ahead of him, ignoring him.

  
One by one, the others too passed by that road, ignoring him and each other. In that sort of other reality, Arashi didn't exist: they were just five strangers. 

  
Aiba felt lost. Those boys had meant everything to him during the past twelve years. They were his brothers, even though not by blood, and they had been with him through happiness and sadness; seeing them like that, separated, hurt him.

  
The scene changed. He was in a room, and the others, right in front of him, were having an argument.

  
He remembered that moment: they had started arguing for some silly reason, and the situation had got a bit out of hand. In that occasion Aiba had yelled them to stop, and after a while they all had calmed down; but now, no matter how loud Aiba was shouting, they didn't stop.

  
\- Oh, stop it! I'm done with you! - Sho yelled, and left the room, slamming the door.

  
Aiba understood why that place was called the  _Dungeon of Despair._

  
The scene changed again. He was back in the dungeon, just that the place was dimly lit by some screens on the walls. In a corner there was a figure, crawled against the wall.

  
\- Jun-kun! Is that you?

  
The figure raised his head. - Aiba-chan....

  
\- Jun-kun! Are you ok?

  
\- No... not at all....

  
Aiba ran towards him, and sat next to him. As he did that, on the screens he saw again the scenes he had seen before, together with shots from horror films that had scared the hell out of him.

  
Aiba looked at Jun. He was pale, and his eyes were wet.

  
\- What do you see? - Aiba asked him.  
\- Sho-kun... Ohno-kun... Sho-kun... -Jun muttered.

\- Jun-kun, be brave! Now we'll find a way to get out of here! - Aiba said. He was scared of that place, too, he was cold and he wanted to get back home, but if even he was let down by the sad images, how could he ever help Jun-kun?

  
The other looked sadly at him. - Do you have a plan?

  
\- No, but... well, we'll make something up!

  
If he'd stayed in that place a bit more, looking at all those sad and terrifying things, he would have lost all hope, but then there wasn't just him: Jun-kun too needed help.  
He took Jun's hand, and held it tight. They weren't seeing the same things on the screens, but they were together, and Jun-kun had to understand that. He had to cheer him up in order to cheer himself up.

  
It was time to think about what to do. With all those images running in front of his eyes, however, it was difficult to concentrate. His method to get free of bad thoughts was one: close his eyes and breathe.

  
He expected to see everything dark, like it normally happened when you closed your eyes, but as those ugly images faded from his mind, something changed. While he still had his eyes closed, he saw in front of him a corridor with an opening at the end, which led to the room with the board.

He opened his eyes, and saw again the screens.

  
\- Jun-kun! Jun-kun! Close your eyes! - said Aiba, excited.

  
\- Why? - Jun asked.

  
\- Just do it! Close your eyes, and try to relax - Aiba answered.

  
Jun did as he said, and smiled. - There's a door - he said.

  
\- And we can get through it!

  
The two boys stood up.

  
\- Take my hand, so that we'll stay together - Aiba said.

  
Together they closed their eyes, and headed towards the opening.

  
They returned to the game's room.

\- Finally! It took a lot of time! - Nino exclaimed. - We were just waiting for you!

  
\- Why? - Jun asked.

  
\- Sho-kun has to answer a question, and it seems that the game wants all the audience!

 

 

*

 

 

_“Itsushika bokura mo heiki na kao shite_

_Hitonami magire iki hisometeta_

_Fuan na yoru wo_

_Futari ikutsu mo akashita_

_Ima koushite shinjiru mono_

_Kizami tsukete...”_

 

_"Before we knew it, we were both keeping a cool expression_

_Slipping into the role of "being normal" and holding our breaths_

_The two of us were tired of the many uneasy nights_

_Now we'll carve out the things we believe in like this...."_

Sho was looking at the writing on the wall, shocked.

  
_"Which of the players are you in love with?"_

  
No, it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all. He was already feeling like a total idiot, having to answer such a silly question while one of his friends was dying, then it was personal! If the person involved didn't know it yet, maybe there was a reason! He was there, with his cool attitude that could make any woman fall to his feet, how could he not have a girlfriend? He'd always been quite discrete regarding his sentimental life, but he could imagine it. Surely he wasn't really thinking about him! 

  
\- Well... sorry, Luna, it can't be you... - Sho said.

  
\- No problem - the girl replied.

  
-  _Tell the truth, Sho! -_ said the voice.

  
\- Is it one of us? - Jun asked. He didn't look pleased at all.

  
See? Maybe he'd already guessed it, and once he told it, he would have got angry!

  
\- I....

  
_\- Sho, tell the truth... or do you want something really bad to happen to him?_

  
\- No! I don't! 

  
He heard a noise, like hands clapping, and everyone but him fell to the ground, moaning with pain.

  
_\- Do you want everything to end in the good or in the bad way?_

  
\- Make it stop, Sho-kun! Please, make it stop! - Aiba screamed.

  
\- Right, right! Jun-kun! - said Sho, in the end.

  
Everyone's pain stopped. - Eeeeeeeh?! - Aiba exclaimed.

  
Sho looked at Jun. He seemed furious.

  
_Right, now I'm dead, and not because of the game!_

  
Sho prepared himself to the flood of words that soon would have attacked him.

  
\- You... you! How could you wait so much to tell me? - Jun shouted.

  
It was worse than Sho had expected, probably.

  
\- You could have told me ages ago! But no! You waited until this game! You waited until I got thrown in that damn dungeon! You waited until you almost saw me dead! And if all of this never happened, how more would you have waited? Months? Years?

  
Jun was getting closer to him. Sho closed his eyes, ready for a punch, or a slap.

  
To his great surprise, instead, Jun grabbed his shirt, and kissed him.

  
\- I love you too, idiot - Jun said, then went back to his square.

  
Sho felt an idiot just as Jun had said. If only he had known before.... 

 

 

*

 

 

_“Dareka ga kimi wo madowase_

_Meikyuu ni mayoi kondemo_

_Boku ga kitto sono te wo tsuyoku hiku yo_

_Mirai ni tsudzuku pazuru wo_

_Hitotsu zutsu awasete yuku_

_Dare yori zutto_

_Kagayaku kimi wo boku wa shitteru kara...”_

 

_"Even if someone leads you into a labyrinth and you get lost_

_I'll definitely grab that hand and pull strongly_

_Putting together the puzzle that continues to the future, piece by piece_

_Because longer than anyone, I've known about the shining you..._. _"_

  
Nino had just seen the scene between Sho and Jun, and felt like an idiot more than Sho.

  
Why, why had he been scared? Maybe Oh-chan too returned his feelings, and if he had confessed to him maybe they wouldn't have even got there, or he would have been full of fear of losing him, but at least no regrets.

  
Jun rolled the die.

  
That square had a mosaic that portrayed a knife and a horn, crossed.

  
_"Knife and unicorn's blood: take these two objects, and find a way to use them!"_

  
In front of them, floating in mid-air, were a dagger and a flask. Nino grabbed them.

  
_A dagger. Perfect to cut snakes._

  
\- Unicorn's blood! - Luna said, shocked.

  
\- What's the matter? - Nino asked.

  
\- It's a powerful antidote, but to get it an innocent creature was killed!

  
\- Oh, screw the unicorns! - Nino yelled, running towards Ohno.

  
He finally had found what he was looking for. He saw the snake crawling up Ohno's body at every step he took, but he didn't care, he was about to save him....

  
Nino attacked the snake. He was cutting wherever it was possible, ignoring the snake's blood spilling anywhere and on him, trying not to hurt Ohno.

  
\- Don't touch it! - Sho said. - You'll get poisoned!

  
Nino ignored him. After some minutes, Ohno was free. What Nino saw was horrible: wherever his skin was exposed, Ohno was covered in bloody blisters. Nino could barely hear his breathing.

  
_Oh no oh no oh no._

  
Nino uncapped the bottle, trembling.

  
\- Stop! They say that everyone who drinks unicorn blood will be damned forever! - Luna said.

  
\- I don't care! - Nino shouted. The only thing he wanted to see was Oh-chan again on his feet, healthy and smiling.

He opened Ohno's mouth a bit, and tried to make him swallow the antidote.

  
He waited. He saw the boy's chest rising and lowering quickly a couple of times, then it stopped.

  
\- Oh-chan... Oh-chan? - Nino said, even though he knew that calling him would have been of no use. He held his hand, but Ohno didn't return his his hold.

  
\- Why... why... WHY? - Nino cried. - WHY HIM? WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE HIM?

  
He was crying desperately. - Why not me? Why? He didn't do anything to you! Why did you take him away from me?

  
Jun got closer to him, and put an arm over his shoulders.

  
\- I loved him, Jun-kun... I loved him, and I never told him - said Nino, crying.

  
\- I knew it, Nino-kun... I think everyone knows, here.

  
Nino ignored him.

\- Oh-chan... why did you leave me... why did you leave us... - Nino whispered.

  
How would he have done without him? He felt like a part of himself had been torn away.

  
He knew he had been stupid, but why did Oh-chan have to pay? Why couldn't it be him, now, at his place? He would have done evertyhing, if not to have him back with him, at least to switch places....

  
Suddenly, he felt something holding his hand. He lowered his eyes, and noticed it was Oh-chan. He was holding his hand like he was trying with all his effort to get a grip on life, like he didn't want to die at all.

  
\- I'd die... rather than leave you... idiot - Ohno whispered. The blisters on his skin were fading.

  
\- Oh-chan! - Nino said, and Ohno smiled weakly.

  
To Nino, it was the most beautiful smile in the world. As soon as Ohno managed to stand up, Nino held him tight and kissed him one, two, three times.

  
\- I love you - Nino said. He was still crying.

  
\- I could have never died without telling you that I feel the same - Ohno said.

  
A sudden noise interrupted them.

  
\- Sorry to break in, but something's collapsing! - Neville yelled, pointing to the walls.

  
The boy was right: a good part of the city on the wall in front of them was collapsing. The clock showed that they had only five minutes before the time finished.

  
\- What do we do? - Sho said, scared.

  
\- We keep on playing. Not everything is lost, the castle is still there - Neville said. - Luna, it's your turn.

 

 

*

 

 

 _“Moshimo shiro ka kuro ka_

 _Kimeta tobira hiraku hi ga kitemo_

 _Kumori no nai omoi ga mou kagi wo sono te ni nigiraseteru yo...”_

 

 _"If the day comes that you have to pick a white or a black door to open_

 _Your clear feelings will let you take the key in those hands already...."_

Luna took the die.

  
It had been nice to see love that, once for all, triumphed. She just hoped that in that short time they managed to win that game, and those boys finally got back home. They seemed nice people, she would have liked it if they could meet again, maybe in a more peaceful situation.

  
To tell the truth, she had hoped for her too a scene like those she had just seen, but it didn't happen, and anyway for what had happened to her, she had been quite lucky.

She threw the die, and ended up in a strange square.

 

There was a catapult drawn on it, and no writings.

  
As always, a catapult appeared in front of her, but there was noting to throw, and anyway she didn't know where to throw anything.

  
The only possible alternative was that she was the  _something_ to throw....

  
The girl climbed on the catapult, and sat on it.

  
Like it was only waiting for her, the catapult shot.

  
Luna had always wished to fly. She'd already done it, but on a Thestral, and it wasn't the same as being completely free.  


Adrenaline was running through her veins, and the euphoric sensation was stressed by the fact that the flight trajectory was taking her right to the last square.

  
When she landed, she was smiling. In front of her there was a key, floating in mid-air. The streched a hand to take it, but the voice interrupted her.

  
-  _Wait! Wait! Before taking the key, there are some things you need to know._

  
Luna looked around, puzzled.

  
-  _You must make a choice: you can take the key and get out alone without a scratch, or you can take everyone out with you, but you'll have to face me._

  
\- Wasn't it enough, what you'd already done? Wasn't it? - Nino shouted, furious.

  
The voice didn't answer.

  
\- Isn't it obvious? - said Luna, calmly. - I'll face you to make everyone get out of here. With that voice, I don't think you're really that dangerous.

  
A blinding light hit her eyes. The following moment, in front of her there was an enormous figure.

  
It was a girl, dressed entirely in white. Her hair was black, and she had an angel-like smile. There was something creepy in that smile, and the sensation was sharpened by the fact that she looked inconsistent like a ghost.

  
_How do I face her, now?_ Luna asked herself, but right after the light swallowed her, and she felt like something was lifting her.

 

 

*

  
_That girl had taken Luna. That girl had taken Luna._

  
She looked like a ghost, but had taken Luna and now was holding her in her hand, more than three metres from the ground. She could have done to her anything, and probably Luna wouldn't have been capable of defending herself.

  
Again, it was his turn to do something.

  
\- Impedimenta! - he shouted.

  
The spell hit a leg of the girl, but got past her without doing anything.

  
_What the hell was that girl?_  

  
_- Oh, oh, oh. Again, our hero! How many times do I have to tell you that you can't do that? She chose to face me, not you!_ \-  said the girl, talking to him as if he had been a child.

\- Let her go!

_\- Why? She's here, now... I can't just let her go! And then, she chose it, she said she would face me... not knowing that, probably, there is no way of destroying me!_

  
Right. Maybe there couldn't have been a way to destroy her, but he could give it a try anyway. First, she really wasn't incorporeal as a ghost... spells got past her, but she could hold Luna. He just needed a plan....

  
He decided to take time.

  
\- Who are you, really? - he shouted.

  
_\- Me? My name is Angelica Wright. I studied here at Hogwarts a century ago. I was quite good at doing spells, and loved board games... so much that they asked me to make one like this, to play live! It was such a cute game, mine, and so... innocuous. Silly, isn't it? -_ said, and then laughed. It was creepy, and Neville shivered. -  _What's better than some risk, to have fun? Anyway, I almost finished creating the game, when suddenly the rubber skeletons I had to fight became something different... well, something similar to those you had to fight. After some seconds I thought I was dead, but it wasn't exactly like that... I created the game, and even though somehow it developed by itself, inside there still was my soul, and at some time I realised that I could control it anyway!_

  
She seemed to be very amused.

  
_\- The right moment to find some players, then, came when those nice boys chose, unconsciously, to steal my idea... that isn't right, folks! Not even on the name you'd been original! As for you and your friend, well, you just were the first to find the staircase to this room, and the first to arrive... you should feel honoured!_

  
Neville came up with something to fight Angelica. It was risky, and if something went wrong probably they would all have died, but what choice did they have?

  
\- Honoured to be in your game? Never! - he shouted, then he ran to a specific square.

  
\- Guys, come here!

  
He really didn't want to ask them for help, since he was exposing them to danger, but it was necessary.

  
He stopped on a  _"Castle of Darkness"_ square, and the others followed him. The skeletons arrived, and the swords appeared in their hands.

  
\- Fight! - he yelled to the others, then returned to Angelica.

\- Let her go! - he said, raising his sword.

  
_\- Ah, ah, ah. And why should I?_

  
\- Because... she... is... the girl... I... LOVE! - he shouted, then threw himself against Angelica's legs.

  
As the sword touched the girl, there was a terrible light explosion. Neville saw Luna falling, and ran forward trying to take her. THe girl landed safely in his arms. She was holding a key in her hand.

Neville saw the sword disappearing from his hand, he heard the others' victory exclamations, and sighed with relief. They did it.

  
Immediately after, however, they heard a loud tremor shaking the ground.

  
It was obvious, wasn't it? They had destroyed the game's essence, and now the game was collapsing.

  
\- Run! - Luna yelled, rushing towards the castle.

  
While everything around them was collapsing, the girl put the key in the hole, and turned it. Everyone rushed to the exit, as fast as they could.

Neville and Luna found themselves on the same place they were before opening that door. Jun, Sho, Ohno, Nino and Aiba, instead, had disappeared.

  
\- What a pity, I would have liked to say them goodbye - Neville said.

  
Luna was standing up next to him, and was looking at him.

  
\- Was that true, what you said before? Am I the girl you love?

  
Neville didn't think she heard him.

\- Well... yes - he said. - Yes, you are - he added, more firmly.

  
\- Because, you know, I never thought it could be the same for you, too - the girl said, smiling, and kissed him lightly on the lips.

  
After all, the happy ending arrived for them too....

 

 

*

 

 

They were back to the studio.

  
He still couldn't believe it: everything was real. Well, none of the books featured a room with a potentially lethal board game, but they had been to Hogwarts! That place existed! Magic existed!

  
They had risked a lot, but how many times, facing difficult things, he had said that he wanted to leave everything and go fighting Voldemort? Now he knew at least for a bit what it meant, and having been lucky enough to get out alive with the others he could define his experience "fantastic", but maybe he would have preferred his life as a super-busy idol.

  
Then, if Hogwarts existed, and if Neville and Luna existed, then probably Voldemort existed, too. In his mind, he wished Harry, Ron and Hermione good luck, even though he perfectly knew how it would have ended.  

\- What are you thinking about? - Sho asked him.

  
He was so happy to be with him.

  
He couldn't keep his enthusiasm to himself anymore. - I think that... guys, magic exists! We're just Muggles, I know, but magic exists! Hogwarts exists! And Neville-san and Luna-san surely now are confessing their love to each other! Isn't that incredible?

  
\- I'm not sure what to think about this magic - Nino said. - After all, it was about to take Oh-chan away from us!

  
\- Luckily we got out of that place - Aiba said.

  
\- Guys, can we make a promise? - said Ohno, placing a hand in the center of their circle. - Let's promise not to have ideas like that anymore for our videos, since we can never know what awaits us?

  
\- Promised! - said the others, putting their hands on Ohno's.

***** \- What? They're Luna-san and Neville-san! This is Hogwarts! I'm so glad... Dumbledore-sensei, please help us!  
 ******  - Shut up, Jun-kun! And who are you?  
 ******* \- Nino-kun, he is Neville-san, and she is Luna-san. Haven't you read  _Harry Potter?_


End file.
